Easy and delicious. Make the most of those special persimmons and apples you found at the farmer’s market. This caramel is great to have on-hand and the perfect companion to a range of treats: yogurt, vanilla ice cream, warmed pears, or formage blanc. You can also brush the caramel on roasted fall vegetables (i.e., carrots or parsnips). If you are worried you will run out, preserve it and it will last until next year when brown sugar persimmons and caville blanc d’hiver apples reappear.

This recipe is for those of you who want a project on a chilly Fall day. It is not hard, but it takes two days. However, do not let that scare you as the actual hands-on preparation requires only about two hours. This braise takes advantage of the apple season and it is a forgiving, easy braise to do.

The “hands-on” portion is simply three parts. Part One, you make the brine and soak the meat overnight in the refrigerator. Part Two, you give your braise its flavor by browning your vegetables and the meat (after removing it from the brine). Now you place everything in a Dutch oven or a crock-pot and let it braise for 8 hours on low heat and get on with your day. Part Three, make a sauce from the cooking liquid.

Because the apples and the pork tend to go to the sweet end of the spectrum, this dish really needs the radicchio and/or endive to balance it (but you can use cabbage, kale or make an arugula salad if you prefer). Generally I serve this dish with white cheddar buttermilk biscuits, but you can serve it with creamy white polenta or potatoes as well.

Soufflés. Impressive to guests. Intimidating to cooks. This recipe will keep the impressive factor and eliminate the intimidation factor.

Sweet or savory, soufflés consist of three parts:

Developing the flavor (Essentially, what is the soufflé supposed to taste like? Here, apples and cheese);

Making the structure (This is the foundation for the soufflé, what gives the soufflé its strength. Here, it is a classic spice-infused béchamel bound with egg yolks); and

Creating a lift (This is what makes it rise. In soufflés the rise is due to the air trapped in the whisked egg whites that turns to steam and expands with oven heat).

The first two steps can be done ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you are ready to make it, let it come to room temperature, whisk the eggs, fold into the base and bake.

This soufflé recipe is perfect for Fall and it is versatile as it can be served as a side-dish or a dessert (after all, it really is apple pie just re-configured). As written, this recipe is also user-friendly because you have less chance of a fallen soufflé (the sugar in the egg whites acts as a stabilizer and the lower oven temperature allows the soufflé to cook in the middle, rather than be molten). Read the rest of this entry »

This recipe is super simple and great to keep on hand in the freezer as a “go to” dessert. It can be served alone, accompanying a baked dessert, or with a glass of Calvados (apple brandy).

I have given examples of apples I like to use, but do not let my list limit your creativity. With 15,000 varieties of apples, you have many options.

I wrote this recipe to take advantage of an apple’s color and vitamins. First, the apples are simmered in apple juice with the skins on, giving the sorbet a pretty pink color and you the benefit of the vitamin C and antioxidant compounds concentrated in the apple’s peel. Also, I add no sugar. If you use fresh, ripe apples, you do not need it. Lastly, I grated some of the uncooked apple peel, creating an apple “zest” to mix in the sorbet. You can leave the zest out if you choose, but I think the red flakes (or green flakes as the case may be) make the sorbet visually interesting as well as add a little texture. Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

Apples are an extremely versatile fruit that can pair well with warm, seasonal flavors and well as foods with a fresh, tangy profile. Warm tones of vanilla, tonka, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, bay, caramel, butter, brown sugar, molasses, and sage. Apples, raw or cooked, are a good companion to a variety of nuts and dried fruits including hazelnuts, pine-nuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chestnuts, raisins, currants, died berries and cranberries. Apples go well with other fruits: pomegranates, pears, quinze, cranberries, figs, dates, oranges, and blackberries.

John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) spread apple seeds in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Ask any first-grader as Johnny Appleseed appears to be standard first-grade Fall curriculum. The lesson is time appropriate as well as fun.

Mr Chapman and his apple seeds did not make it to California but some forty years after his death someone did and that person planted apple seeds in Glen Oaks, California, a little town nestled against the San Bernardino Mountains (about one hour and a half east of Los Angeles). At an elevation of 5,000 feet, Glen Oaks is the perfect climate for apple growing. It also made for the perfect family get-away one Sunday.

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